Innocence and Instinct by Red

Red burst onto the scene a few years back with "End of Silence," a hard-rockin', atmospheric debut. On first listen, it reminded me of some Linkin Park (a band I used to really like), but more listens revealed EOS to be a textured album with a personality of its own.

With "Innocence and Instinct," Red takes the next step musically and lyrically, drawing listeners along for a passionate and deep-thinking journey. The vocals are emotionally-charged, the music sometimes restrained (such as in "Take It All Away") and other times blasting (as in "Death of Me"). For the moment, "Shadows" is my favorite tune, but I suspect that will change as I keep listening.

Red shows once again that they are willing to hold their ground spiritually, while never compromising quality or passion. They are poised to continue reaching far beyond their market with songs that touch on real issues in realistic yet hopeful ways. As a novelist, I feel like we're on parallel paths in our approach, intent, and style. I've been listening to this CD while writing my latest book, and feel inspired by its energy.

Eric Wilson is the author of twelve novels that explore Earth's tension between heaven and hell, the latest of which is One Step Away, a twist on the story of Job. He lives in Nashville with his wife and two daughters. Visit him online at his website.